


The Gingerbread Show Off

by homosociallyyours



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Baking, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, First Kiss, Fluff, Genderqueer Character, M/M, Miscommunication, brief mention of zayn, if that's the trope you're in this for you might be disappointed, is more the right speed, original drag queen character, this fic is short so the enemies to lovers thing happens quickly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:20:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21670618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/homosociallyyours/pseuds/homosociallyyours
Summary: The Gingerbread Show Off is the biggest event of the year at Harry's still sort of new to him job, and when he's given a spot to compete in it he's beyond excited. When he realizes that he's going to be paired up with Louis, the man who's been sneakily stealing his ideas since almost their first day of working together, he's understandably frustrated.He still wants to win, though, and he's not going to let his office enemy bring him down.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 117
Collections: 1D Christmas Fest





	The Gingerbread Show Off

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to the mods of the 1D Christmas fest! It's one of my favorite challenges, and I was so excited to sign up when I saw it cross my dash. You kept it organized brilliantly and I appreciate your hard work!
> 
> Also, huge thanks to my beta, statementlou, for her encouragement and the super quick turnaround on this fic when I needed it. She's truly the best!

The hotel ballroom was filled with noise as Harry found his way to his seat near the front. Around him, employees from every department were standing by the few people wearing numbers, clapping them on the back and talking about their plans for the day. The perimeter of the room was lined with tables that were outfitted with work stations, each one with small ovens and dehydrators waiting to be used. Up until now, he really thought he’d been prepared for this. He was definitely doubting that now. 

The event was known as the Gingerbread Show Off, usually just “The Show Off” or even “The Show” among most of the people in the office, and though it would probably seem out of place anywhere else, Harry happened to work at one of the most successful LGBTQ owned and operated baking companies in the world, so it wasn’t _that_ odd. Especially considering that the name of the company was Ginger’s Bread after the founder’s drag queen alter ego, Ginger Breadman, a sassy redhead with a love of cookies and Christmas. 

Harry looked up just as Ginger took the stage in front of him. She held a cordless mic in one hand and a Ginger’s Bread “Everyone is Welcome in this House” gingerbread kit like a purse in the other. She’d done her makeup to look a lot like a gingerbread person, lips overdrawn in white and her skin almost unnaturally tan. It was a bit eerie, actually, and Harry found himself looking around the room when she started to speak. 

“Simmer down everyone! Simmah DOWN!” Her voice boomed through the mic, and she laughed when everyone got quiet. “Welcome to the 13th Annual Hunger Ga-- just kidding! It’s the 13th Annual Gingerbread Show Off babies! Lemme hear you yell if you love gingerbread!” 

Everyone gathered responded with cheers and applause, and Harry looked up to see Ginger smiling wide, lapping up the sound.

“Good! Now as you all know, we expanded this year, with over fifty new positions added. That means our little show off is gonna be different this time around. When I say go, all the competitors will go find their number at a table with a single house kit just like this one. BUT!” Ginger slapped the gingerbread kit against her ass, making a scandalized face as she did. “There will be two of you at each table! Teamwork! Ooh!” 

The crowd gasped almost collectively, and Harry’s eyes widened as he considered what this would mean for him. His first time in the show off _and_ he’d be paired up with someone he might not even know? He felt his anxiety spike. 

“We’re shakin’ things up!” Ginger held the kit in both hands and raised it above her head, shaking it hard enough that the bits of fringe on her dress moved around and the microphone she held bounced against it noisily. “The judging remains the same, but this time the prizes are doubled, so everyone competing still gets a nice reward. And yes, the winners’ floors and departments will also get a little something special as usual.” 

That was met with more cheers and applause, the shock at the change in game play clearly only temporary for most people. Not that Harry was most people. He was still surprised and worried. 

“Okay contestants, get up offa that thing and bread til you feel better! Go, go, GO!” 

Everyone around Harry was dashing off as he stood and made his way toward the tables, searching for his number. He found it quickly, and tied on one of the aprons that was laid out on the table as he looked around to see who might join him. 

“Oh! You’re 16?” 

Harry didn’t even need to turn his head to see who was speaking to him. He knew the voice from meetings and too loud conversations in the breakroom. Louis. Harry held up the number that he had as he turned to face Louis. “Yes. You’re 18, then?” 

“Looks like I am,” Louis said, waving his number near his face before setting it down on the table. “Think you can try not hating me for the next three hours?” Harry rolled his eyes as Louis pulled his apron on and tied it around his waist. 

“I don’t hate you,” Harry said, washing his hands at the portable sink station that was set up behind their table. He was lying-- he kind of did hate Louis a little bit --but he didn’t see any reason why he couldn’t at least try to put it aside for the sake of winning. “Let’s just divide up the baking and then go from there once everything is out of the oven.”

“Right,” Louis sighed, stepping in to wash his hands as Harry finished. “You mix the house, I’ll make our doughs for the ginger people.” 

Harry nodded and set to work. 

The thing about Louis is that he seemed likable enough at first. His team worked closely with Harry’s, and when they’d met on Harry’s first day he had found Louis a little bit attractive, honestly. That changed abruptly during their first big meeting. Louis had sat next to Harry and complimented him on his loafers (“not my style, but quite cute,” he’d said) and Harry had puffed up at the comment, feeling like maybe he could see himself having a bit of a crush down the road. Then the heads of their departments had done a joint presentation. That was where the trouble started. 

Harry spent his time taking careful notes as each person spoke, putting his own thoughts and ideas and responses off in the margins of his notepad, all marked with an asterisk. He’d made eye contact with Louis a couple of times, glancing toward him only to have Louis turn his head at just the same time and smile back, and he sort of thought they were flirting until the point that the presentation was over and the heads of the departments asked for thoughts and ideas. 

Louis had raised his hand just as Harry was putting a tiny tick mark next to the things he wanted to say, and Harry paused to listen. What he heard was Louis sharing his ideas-- Harry’s --and passing them off as his own. They weren’t verbatim (apparently he was good enough at stealing ideas to know that he should at least change them a bit), but they were close enough that Harry was privately seething by the time Louis finished speaking. 

Harry only had one thing to add, a comment about the usefulness of pre-made gum paste decor versus fondant, and Louis had the gaul to turn to him and _smile_ , going so far as to give him a little thumbs up. Even remembering it now Harry had to scoff. 

After that he hadn’t really ever trusted Louis. And the worst thing was that somehow-- in spite of Harry trying to put distance between them at meetings and not being friendly anymore --Louis still managed to take his ideas half the time. Each time Louis was the first to share an idea, Harry was left to fume as he heard something he’d written down spoken aloud by someone else. It was incredibly infuriating. 

“If you mix the dough angry it’s going to taste bad, you know,” Louis said, breaking into Harry’s stormy thoughts. “It’s not scientific fact, but it does so say right there on the box.” 

“I’m not angry, just concentrating.” 

Louis reacted by raising his eyebrows and giving him a questioning look. “You were looking at the dough the way you look at me whenever I talk in meetings. If that’s concentration I’d say you’re trying to find a way to shoot lasers through your eyes. Still a dangerous choice for baking.” 

Harry groaned. “Fine, I was thinking, that’s all.” Turning back to his dough, which was thoroughly mixed now, Harry muttered, “not that you’d know anything about that.” 

“I heard that. You’re less than two feet away from me, you know?” Louis paused, fixing Harry with a look as Harry tried to go back handling his dough. “I’d like to know what your problem is with me, Harry. I haven’t done anything and you act like I’m a complete dick.” 

Pressing his dough flat, Harry wrapped it up and put it in the fridge to cool before turning to Louis with his hands on his hips and a little bit of fire running through him. “You haven’t done anything? Come off it, will ya? Maybe you think I don’t notice it, but I’m not an idiot. I mean obviously I’m not, you like my ideas so much.” 

“Yes, I _do_ like your ideas.” Louis abandoned his dough, wiping his hands on his apron and stepping a little closer to Harry. “I liked you too for a minute there, but then you suddenly turned into a complete nightmare.” 

“Me?” Harry asked a little too loudly. He noticed the people around them getting quieter and took another small step toward Louis, lowering his voice when he spoke again. “You’re the one who constantly takes my ideas and says them like they’re your own. You’re the one who thought you could pretend to be nice, flatter me, and that then I’d just let you get credit for my ideas without a care. Dick.” 

Louis’ mouth dropped and he stared at Harry for a long moment before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache. “You think-- you really, genuinely think --that I’m _stealing_ your ideas? We don’t talk! I’ve seen you turn around and nearly run back to your desk when you notice I’m in the breakroom. How would I steal your ideas?” He sighed, shaking his head. “ _How?_ ”

And. Well. He had a point, maybe. Still, Harry had spent too long being angry and frustrated about it to just let it go. “Well you started out just looking at my notes during a meeting, but I’m not sure how you’ve kept it up. You manage it somehow.” 

“When? When did I ever--” 

“Oohhh the drama llama is here with us today, babies!” In the midst of their fighting, somehow Harry had failed to notice that Ginger had decided to leave the stage and walk around to offer commentary on how things were going for the contestants. “Spill the tea! What’s this about?” She put the microphone between Harry and Louis’ faces and they shared a worried look. 

“We, uh--” Harry began, turning to Ginger. He was almost immediately cut off by Louis.

“Wanted to have a fight and then a beautiful reconciliation in our gingerbread home.” 

Harry’s head whipped around fast enough that he almost pulled a muscle. “That’s. Exactly what I was going to say.” Turning back to the mic, he continued where Louis left off. “It’s a common part of the LGBTQ experience, and the fight can be what makes us stronger.” 

“Method acting,” Ginger said, drawing a deep breath and then releasing it slowly into the mic. “Very deep. Much to consider.” She then skipped off down the line, leaving Harry and Louis alone. 

“You said what I was thinking,” Harry said, shaking his head. 

“ _Okay_ , and?” Louis stared back at Harry, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I mean I would’ve said it a little differently, maybe, but the idea was--” Harry stopped, deciding to take a less accusatory approach. “How could you have known what I was thinking?” 

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe we had the same ideas because we think about things in similar ways? And that maybe I really do like the way you think?” Louis chuckled to himself. “God, you’ve spent the past six months being angry with me when we could’ve been having our brilliant ideas together.” 

It seemed obvious when he said it like that, but it really hadn’t occurred to Harry that his issue with Louis could have been as simple as great minds thinking alike. As the truth washed over Harry, he thought back over the preceding months. How Louis had tried praising him early on and how, even when Harry had responded by glowering back at him, he'd still kept trying to be civil if not outright nice. “Fuck, I’m an idiot.” 

“Hey, hey. Calling yourself an idiot is almost like calling me one. Very rude, honestly.” 

“I just. I thought you were taking my ideas, maybe trying to show me up. I’ve been _so_ awful to you! How did you put up with me? I’m so sorry, Christ.” 

Louis placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder, his touch gentle but firm. “Hey, it’s not been all that bad. You mostly avoided me, and that death stare of yours actually gave me a good bit of comedy material. Zayn calls you ‘frog boy’ and that’s definitely because of me.” 

“Frog boy? What? Why?” 

“Okay gingerbreaders! You have two more hours to go! Get those cookies in the oven if you wanna have a chance at winning!” The sound of Ginger’s voice (as well as her words) shook both Harry and Louis out of their conversation about their working relationship. 

“We’re back on task, right?” Louis asked, turning to deal with his doughs. “You’ve got the house, I’ve got the figures.” 

“And we’ll handle the decorating together.” Harry went into culinary school production mode, rolling out his dough and fitting the templates over it so that he didn’t need to re-roll any of it. As he slid it into the oven, Louis put his in the fridge to chill. 

“It’ll be tight getting them done, but if we work together we can make it. Up for it, Harry?”

Harry gave a single sharp nod in response before pulling out the small packages of gum paste and fondant as well as the candies that came in the kit. “Obviously we’re doing everything in rainbows, but I think if we want to win we’ve got to push it further.” 

“A family that uses all the dough colors. They could have a little drag queen friend with contoured makeup on.” Louis reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pen, making a rough sketch on some paper that came in their kit. “And something interesting with the house.” 

“What if we paint stripes of food coloring down the inside of the piping bag so that when we pipe out the royal icing for seams and basic decoration we'll have rainbow colors will actually pop? Mixing it in with white icing never gives a bright enough color.” 

“Yes! And-- I don’t _think_ it’s cheating to use outside supplies, is it?” Louis grabbed his bag from beside the table when Harry shook his head to signal that he didn’t think that was against any of the rules. “I brought a mini bottle of vodka with me just in case.” 

“Oh my god, we can mix the food coloring with that and use it to paint the fondant decor if we want without adding extra drying time! You’re a genius!” Harry grinned. He was so excited he felt like he was practically vibrating. Together they really might win the whole thing. Louis looking back at him with a smile of his own didn’t hurt either. 

Harry set to work on the decor, rolling out fondant and cutting out shapes to be used later. He followed along with the template for some of it, but for the rest he just let himself get creative. He hadn’t decided to study pastry for nothing, after all, and he enjoyed the finer details that his job in recipe development didn’t always allow for. Meanwhile, Louis was watching the gingerbread that was in the oven and cutting out a variety of shapes to make all the characters in their little gingerbread world. 

“I have a big family, hope it’s okay that I’m making five little ginger people.”

Harry looked over to see Louis’ work. He’d found a way to modify the ginger people so that he had characters of more than just two sizes, and he’d even made a couple in slightly different shapes-- just fatter and slimmer, really, but it made a difference. 

“Looks great, actually! I’m an only child, but I’ve always thought a big family would be great. Babies and older kids and a few friends around like aunts and uncles, that’s how I’d want to do it one day.” Maybe it was too much to share, but Harry didn’t really consider that until after he’d spoken. No taking it back now. “And it’s great for this, of course.” 

Louis hip checked him playfully. “We’re alike there too, I guess. I thought this would be good for the contest, but it’s not too far off from what I’d want for myself.” 

“You should make a cat, then.” 

“And a dog,” Louis added. “Both.” 

“Maybe some farm animals, eventually. Chickens, maybe a goat. Oh, or a sheep! I love sheep.” Harry was definitely picturing something beyond the scope of their current project. But when he let himself think about the future he had a hard time reining it in. 

“That is definitely beyond the scope of our current project I’m afraid.” Louis was clearly biting back a laugh. “But I like where your head is at.” 

“Yeah?” Harry asked, biting his lip and only just daring to look up.

“Mine goes there too, honestly.”

If Harry weren’t in the middle of some pretty important fondant work (fashioning tiny, perfectly formed christmas lights) he’d literally kick himself. He’d spent the past few months being irrationally angry at _this_ man. Someone cute who’d been flirting with him early on and who wanted a big family and maybe a little hobby farm one day. Someone whose way of thinking was close enough to Harry’s that it made him think that maybe all the guys he’d dated who’d said he was impossible to understand were wrong. 

Not that he’d actually get to date Louis though, since he was pretty sure that he’d messed up his chances by being so horrible. 

“How are my little method actors doing?” Ginger was back, peering at their work over the table with her mic in hand. “Oh! My! God! They’re bringing the rainbows, I repeat: They. Are. Bringing. Those. Rainbows.” She turned around to face the crowd of employees who weren’t participating in the show off. Most of them were actually paying attention, watching the people they knew and cheering for them occasionally. “If you love rainbows, lemme hear you say HELL YEAH!” 

The crowd, Louis, and Harry, all shouted, “hell yeah!” in unison, much to Ginger’s obvious delight. Holding the mic aside, Ginger leaned over and said, “I really do love the rainbows! Happy Gay Christmas to me! Keep up the good work.” Then she was off to the next table, talking about how sweet their house was. 

“She liked the rainbows,” Louis said, eyebrows raised. 

“Of course she did. We came up with them.” Harry held up one of his christmas lights that was ready to be painted. “And she hasn’t even seen all of them yet.” 

At that point, he and Louis hunkered down to work. Ginger yelled a few time checks, but Harry didn’t really notice them until she announced they only had an hour left. Harry turned his head just slightly in Louis’ direction. It was the best he could do while still trying to work on the rainbow he was fashioning out of gummy bears. “We’ve gotta get this house put together if we’re gonna have a chance of pulling this off. How are you with construction?” 

When Louis didn’t respond, Harry stopped working and actually looked at him. He was bent over, face in full concentration mode as he decorated a gingerbread drag queen who looked shockingly like Ginger Breadman. He had several other figures complete as well, and each of them was better than the last. It seemed as though he’d even made a little gingerbread Harry as well, with green eyes and high waisted trousers. On his feet were pale yellow shoes-- Harry’s loafers. 

“That’s really good, Lou. Wow.” 

Louis finally looked up at that, grinning at the compliment. “Well I’m not in product design for nothing, you know. I’m kind of a ringer, really.” He peered over at Harry’s work then, smile growing at what he saw. “You’re not bad yourself! Those rainbows are brilliant.” 

“I’ve watched too many hours of baking shows. Had to bring my A game so I wouldn’t feel like I wasted my time talking shit to the television and saying I could do it better.” 

“Ahh there’s nothing better than a baking show marathon to make you feel like you could take on the world from your couch. You have a favorite?” Louis leaned against the table with one hand, body turned toward Harry with an ease and openness that made Harry’s cheeks warm. He’d always wanted to have someone to cuddle with during his Bake Off rewatches. Ideally someone who wouldn’t mind when he got far too invested in whatever the action was. 

“Forty FIIIIIVE minutes left, gingerettes! I better see some beautiful houses being built!” 

“Shit, shit!” Louis turned back to his work, picking up his piping bag and pulling another ginger person over to give them a face and clothes and personality. “Sorry babe, gotta finish this.” 

Harry stood still for a moment, letting his mind fuzz out over the endearment. _Babe_. It felt far too nice to hear from someone he’d thought he hated only a few hours ago. 

“I’ll need your hands for construction,” Harry said, shaking his head to get his mind going again. “And once it’s up I’ll take lead on placing most of the decor.” 

“Right, then I’ll handle the people and get to the roof if you’re still putting other rainbows up. We’ve got this.” 

They really did. Harry got the house put together quickly, and the quick drying ‘mortar icing’ he and his coworkers had developed worked exactly as it was supposed to, keeping everything stuck tight at the seams. After that, he was lost in a sea of detail work, adding all the rainbow elements he’d made until the house was awash in color. 

Louis placed his ginger people so that they appeared to be working together to decorate the house, some of them holding candy pieces in their hands as others got tiny dots of rainbow frosting on their clothes and faces as if they’d been the ones to make the rainbow flowers and lights themselves and had done a slightly messy job of it. With ten minutes left, Louis and Harry set to work on the roof, each taking a side and meeting in the middle to place their final rainbow candies as the last few seconds were counted down by Ginger and the crowd.

“That! Is! Time! Everyone take your hands off that ginger! And off this Ginger too, because we are professionals at a work event!” Ginger raised her hand in the air to keep the crowd quiet. “Now we’re going to step out of this room and have some good food and drinks, and we’re going to let our panel of judges take a good look at alla this bread! Bakers, move your houses to the end of your table so we can see them clearly.” 

Lifting up their house in unison, Harry and Louis placed it at the end of their table before stepping back to take in the sight of it. 

“It’s really quite cute, isn’t it?” Louis said, cocking his head to the side and examining the house. “I think it’s something to be proud of, even if we don’t win.” 

“Honestly? You may laugh at me, but I feel like I’ve already gotten so much out of today that I don’t really care if we win.” Harry chuckled to himself. “But our house _does_ look great, and the judges would have to be fools to pass it over.” When he turned to go, he found Louis staring at him, a peculiar expression on his face. 

“I can’t believe that after what we both went through today…” Louis shook his head, letting his gaze fall to the ground. Harry felt his stomach twist at Louis’ pause, suddenly worried that he’d said something wrong, messing it all up. “You still don’t realize that we really do think so much alike it’s uncanny.” Louis’ eyes met Harry’s, his smile slight but fond, and Harry laughed with relief. 

“So you too then? Feeling like a winner already?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, yeah I do. I am.” 

“Ahem.” They turned to find Ginger looking at them, tapping her foot even as she gave them a sly smile. “The judges can’t start while contestants are in the room, so perhaps you two _winners_ can finish running this love scene elsewhere, hm?” 

Offering their apologies, Louis and Harry grabbed their things and hustled out the door to join the rest of their coworkers. The bar had a line several people deep, and Harry didn’t really feel like standing in it just to get a weak rum and coke. He nodded toward an empty table tucked away in a corner instead. They sat down across from each other, an awkward silence descending as they both waited for the other to start speaking. 

“So--” they both said at once. “You can--” 

“Go on,” Louis said, shaking his head. 

“I was going to ask you how you got started here, but small talk seems sort of weird now? I mean we don’t know each other, so it shouldn’t. But it feels like we do?” Harry shrugged, resting his elbows on the table and leaning in toward Louis. “Sort of want to ask you something ridiculous.” 

Louis raised an eyebrow and waited for Harry to continue. 

“Um, maybe-- when did you stop believing in Santa Claus?” 

“ _That’s_ your question?” When Louis laughed, it came out as a staccato hahaha sound that made Harry giggle. 

“Yeah, that’s my question. Santa Claus. Go.” 

“What if I told you I still believe in him? Maybe I still put out milk and cookies.” 

“Gingerbread, I assume? It’s what I’d say.” 

“Yeah, yeah, absolutely gingerbread. Tall glass of milk. He’s a good guy, that Santa, never misses a Christmas.” Louis’ eyes twinkled as he leaned back and laughed again. “My turn then?” 

“Better make it good after mine,” Harry said. 

“Right, let’s see. Most embarrassing moment.”

“Heyyy, mine was a lot nicer!” 

“Not my fault you didn’t try hard enough with your first question. Live and learn, eh?” 

Harry bit back an overly fond smile. He liked the way it felt when Louis teased him, maybe. “Well, I did recently learn that I’d been awful to this man who was really cute and pretty nice to me at first. It was a misunderstanding, but,” Harry took a breath, letting it out on a sigh. “Realizing I’d fucked things up was definitely...embarrassing. Also frustrating. Somewhat annoying. Even a little terrible, possibly.” 

“Ooh, rough.” Louis sat back in his chair, shaking his head and looking at Harry. “Are you sure it’s all that bad, though? I mean embarrassing, sure. Being completely and totally wrong always is.” Harry huffed out a laugh at that. “But if you think this man is cute and you want to try giving it a proper go with him, I don’t see why you couldn’t at least try.” 

Licking his lips and leaning in closer-- he was practically laid across the table to get to Louis --Harry eyed him carefully. “What do you think trying might entail?”

Before Louis could answer, Ginger’s voice rang out across the room. Apparently her mic worked even beyond the ballroom. “Everyone grab your drinks and food and get back in here! We have winners to announce and faaaaabulous prizes for many of you! Now run run run as fast as you can!”

“We should, um.” Harry stood, thumbing towards the ballroom. “Go collect our prizes.” 

“Yeah,” Louis said, laying a hand on Harry’s back as they headed across the room. “We should.” 

By the time they walked in, the ballroom was even louder than it had been at the start of the Show Off, some people holding a drink in each hand as they walked around surveying the various houses that were on display. Harry was grateful when Louis guided him to a seat somewhat close to the stage, Ginger’s voice cutting through the din a moment later. 

“Priiiiii-ZES! Get your prizes here! You get a prize! And you get a prize! And neither of you are actually getting prizes because you didn’t compete! But we gotta do this so we can dim the lights and bring down the house. Or houses, really! Plenty to eat here.” 

“She’s mellowed over the years,” Louis whispered, causing Harry giggle and yet still managing to send a shiver through him at the feel of Louis’ breath against his neck. 

“As always, we will start with the honorable mentions. The ‘you tried’ stars in the sky of our little Show Off…” 

Ginger went on like that for a while, taking her time in announcing the winners for a number of categories that seemed entirely made up. Everyone got something for making a house, whether it was a coffee gift card or cheesy t-shirt or a nominal cash prize. Harry was glad that at least he enjoyed Ginger’s punny and over the top comedy style-- if he hadn’t, he couldn’t imagine sitting through this part of the Show Off. 

“And now we come down to the last awards of the day! The showiest of the Show Off, the gingeriest breads in the Gingerbread world! Our top three houses.” 

“Oh, we haven’t been-- Louis, we made it to the top three,” Harry whispered, patting Louis’ leg and leaning forward in his seat. 

“Of course we did. Did you look at our house? Incomparable.” 

“I’m going to ask our final three teams to come forward. For the drama.” Ginger twirled, raising one hand above her head with a flourish. “Come on, babies!” 

Harry and Louis were the first to the front, followed shortly by two other pairs of people who Harry didn’t recognize. Louis seemed to know at least a couple of them, as they exchanged friendly nods while taking their places. 

“Now. In third place, each taking home $100 actual cash money, Sandra and Mark, 2 and 22 respectively.” The crowd cheered, with a few people in the back standing up and yelling extra loud. “Human Resources and Accounting departments, you’ll all be getting $10 this year _and_ \-- that’s right, I said and, you can quote me I run this whole show --a catered lunch in the new year. We have elevated our prizes this year! Yes!” 

Sandra and Mark high-fived, both looking pretty pleased with themselves as they made their way back to their seats. 

“Which brings us to first and second places. Our second place contestants will get $200 each and free night’s stay in this very fine hotel with all amenities paid in full. Everyone in their departments will get $25 as well as that nice catered lunch.” Ginger laid a hand over her heart before continuing. 

“Now first place, oh. It’s beautiful this year. First place contestants will get five. Hundred. Dollars. 500! Each! They’ll also get a two night stay in this hotel, alllll amenities paid. Their lucky departments will get $50 for each member, a catered lunch, and. YES, I said and,” Ginger sighed, shaking her head as if anyone had questioned what she’d been saying. “A brand new coffee machine for their breakroom.” 

People really did erupt over that one-- a new coffee machine probably meant something better than the aging pod style coffee makers each floor had. The prizes were much better over all that what Harry had been expecting. 

“It must’ve been a good year,” Louis whispered to Harry. “These are the best prizes yet.” 

“Judges, bring me the two final houses!” Ginger said, head thrown back and arms out wide. She looked and sounded as regal as anyone could when they were dressed as an extremely flamboyant red haired gingerbread person. 

Harry turned to see a child of about ten, a woman he recognized as one of the company VPs, and a brunette man looking about his own age walking up, the woman and man carrying the houses while the child ran ahead of them, slamming into Ginger’s side and hugging her tightly. 

“Everyone give our judges some love for their hard work. Niall, our West Coast sales representative and one of last year’s winners. Colleen, Vice President of marketing and one of our longstanding judges.” Each of them nodded in turn and then took a step back so that the child who was judging with them got a chance in the spotlight. 

“And finally, this is Linden, who’s joining us from the center for LGBTQ youth. We’ve been funding the Center for the past ten years, and Linden is part of a new program for LGBTQ youth that uses drag as a way to build confidence and have fun.” Linden did a spin, finishing with jazz hands, and everyone assembled cheered. 

Harry leaned toward Louis, keeping his eyes on Linden and smiling. “Imagine having a kid like that. So amazing.” Realizing he was on the verge of tears, he looked up, waiting till they passed. 

“I’m going to let Linden announce our winner,” Ginger said, handing the mic over to Linden and looking on with a soft expression on her face. 

“Hello to all of you! Guys. Gals. Non-binary pals.” Linden gave the crowd and exaggerated wink, popping a hip and making a finger gun with their free hand. “I had a great time judging today and you all made houses that were really great. But we had one house that we loved the most, because it was really neat and pretty but it was also bright and fun.” 

Linden looked to Ginger, who nodded, a wide grin on her face. “Um. So our first place winners are Harry and Louis who made the cool rainbow house. I would live there if I could.” 

Harry turned to Louis, the two of them sharing a look that said they’d both expected to win and yet never believed they really would. 

Ginger accepted the mic back from Linden so she could finish the announcement. “Okay, that means second goes to Marta and Connie, 31 and 9, IT and PR departments. Harry and Louis are 16 and 18, from Recipe Development and Product Design. Congratulations, babies! You Showed Off! Those Rainbows didn’t just send our judges, they sent me too, and that is saying something!” 

Louis wrapped an arm around Harry’s waist, tugging him closer as Harry draped his own arm around Louis’ shoulder for a moment before deciding to throw caution to the wind and pull Louis into an actual hug. Standing chest to chest with their arms around each other, it struck Harry just how well he and Louis fit together. As he relaxed into the embrace he felt Louis turn his head, his nose brushing against Harry’s ear. 

“You asked what it would entail, trying to have a go at something,” he whispered. Harry gripped him a little tighter. “Just ask. Just ask and I’m yours.” 

It felt like Harry was getting a chance to tell Santa his wish knowing full well that he’d get just what he asked for, and the feeling made him giddy. Leaning back so he could look Louis in the eyes, Harry smiled, heart open, and asked, “may I kiss you?” 

“No date, just a kiss, eh?” Louis raised his eyebrows, tongue peeking out from his lips. 

“Umm, kiss first, then date, hopefully followed by more kissing,” Harry said, tipping forward until his lips were barely an inch from Louis’. “But definitely kissing first.” 

“Yes, God y--”

Before Louis could say anything else, Harry’s lips were on his, the kiss they shared soft and sweet at first, blooming into something more when Louis parted his lips and Harry’s tongue brushed lightly against them. 

“There are children present,” Linden said into the microphone. Harry and Louis broke apart, sheepish and blushing as Linden offered the commentary that “kissing is gross” and Ginger stood behind her, laughing hysterically. 

After that, they both had to deal with coworkers coming up to offer congratulations and ask for the story of what had changed between the two of them. It took almost a half hour for the crowd to die down properly, people either going home or drifting out to have more drinks and tear apart the gingerbread houses bite by bite. They were gathering up their things when Ginger approached them. 

“Well if that was method acting you two chose the wrong careers. You should leave baking and get to Hollywood,” she teased. 

“It was actually authentic,” Louis said, resting his hand at the small of Harry’s back. “Unexpected. But authentic.” 

“Well it’s rare I get to see gingerbread really bringing people together like this, so I liked it. A little Christmas romance! Better than a Lifetime original holiday movie. You two take an extra night at the hotel, on me. If that was your first kiss, I have a feeling you’ll need it.” Ginger winked at them, then turned to walk off. 

“That might’ve been inappropriate from anyone else, but from Ginger--” 

“Yeah, I didn’t mind it,” Louis said, shaking his head. “Weird though.” 

“So. Kissing first, then a date,” Harry said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. 

“Then more kissing,” Louis added with a small yet decisive nod. 

“Would a drive through count as a date?” 

“It would if we split a shake.” 

“I’m not a monster, Louis, of course we’ll split a shake.” 

It was the first date of many. A week or so later they celebrated their first Christmas together, and though it may have been very early on, both of them would say they knew by then that it would be the first of many too. They had a lot of special days together-- anniversaries, birthdays, having and raising children --but whenever they talked about it they’d always agree that none of it would’ve been possible without the power of a good gingerbread house. 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for the prompt:  
> Persons A and B are coworkers who have never gotten along due to a series of misunderstandings, but they’re forced to put their differences aside when they’re assigned as partners in the office gingerbread house making competition. Both of them are determined to win, and spend hours working on the house and bickering about ideas for it. They end up enjoying each other’s company a lot more than they were expecting by the end of it. 
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing it in spite of having to start completely fresh the night before it was due, knowing I couldn't finish the fic I'd started writing. That one might still come out one day (the plot is different even if the prompt is the same) but I'm so happy with this one as it is. 
> 
> Also, an actual content note: I realized while writing this that most gingerbread house kits come with pre-baked pieces, but decided to stick with the idea that part of what sets this kit apart is that it has a mix that you blend up, roll out, and bake yourself, along with templates to use as guides. The kit includes three separate gingerbread people mixes: one regular gingerbread, one light ginger sugar cookie, and one cocoa gingerbread to mimic darker skin tones. I don't think this is done very much but WHY NOT? Feel free to steal my brilliance. I would never be as upset about it as Harry is. 
> 
> If you enjoyed this fic, please consider leaving kudos or a comment or reblogging the tumblr post here.


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